[Adopted 6-2-1983; amended in its entirety 5-24-1990 by Ord. No. 13-90 (Ch. 44 of the 1981 Code)]
There is hereby created a Board of Recreation Commissioners who shall serve the Township of Allamuchy strictly in accordance with the provisions of this article.
A. 
All present members of the Board of Recreation Commissioners shall continue to hold office for the terms for which they were respectively appointed, and hereafter the Mayor and Council shall appoint, in the discretion of said Mayor, not fewer than three nor more than seven persons, citizens and residents of this Township, as members of a Board of Recreation Commissioners.
B. 
The Commissioners first appointed shall be appointed for terms of one, two, three, four and five years, respectively, in such a manner so that the terms of at least one Commissioner and not more than two Commissioners shall expire in each year according to the number of appointments. Thereafter, all appointments shall be for the term of three years if the Board consists of three members or five years if the Board consists of five or seven members. Vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term only. The members shall serve until their respective successors are appointed and shall qualify.
C. 
Alternate members. The Mayor and Council may appoint, in the discretion of the Mayor, not more than two alternate members. Alternate members shall be designated at the time of appointment as Alternate Member One and Alternate Member Two. The length of the terms of the alternate member shall be the same as the length of the terms of the regular members of the Board of Recreation Commissioners. If two alternates are appointed, their terms shall be staggered by the appointment of one of the alternates for an initial term that is a year less than a regular term. A vacancy occurring otherwise than by expiration of term shall be filled by the governing body for the unexpired term only. Alternate members may participate in discussions of the proceedings but may not vote, except in the absence or disqualification of a regular member of the Board of Recreation Commissioners. A vote shall not be delayed in order that a regular member may vote instead of an alternate member. In the event that a choice must be made as to which alternate member is to vote, Alternate Number One shall vote.
[Added 6-17-1996 by Ord. No. 4-96]
D. 
The members shall receive no compensation for their services.
A. 
The Board may acquire lands for public playgrounds and recreation places by gift or purchase, and it shall from time to time select lands for public playgrounds and recreation places and, when deemed necessary or advisable by such Board, select lands for an approach or approaches by way of ingress thereto and egress therefrom of such size and dimensions as it shall think suitable, with regard being given to the population of the neighborhood.
B. 
Said Board shall cause surveys and maps to be made thereof, together with a careful estimate, as nearly accurate as may be, of the probable costs of acquiring such lands, and a statement of the annual rental and duration of term if it is proposed to lease the same, together with an estimate of the cost of preparing such lands and suitably equipping the same by the erection of buildings, stands, seats and other structures and apparatus for such playgrounds and recreation places.
C. 
Such surveys, maps and estimates shall be submitted to the Township Council with a request that an appropriation be made for the purpose of acquiring or leasing such lands, as the case may be, and suitably preparing and equipping the same.
If the Township Council authorizes the acquisition of such lands and if the Township Council appropriates a sum for the purchase and equipment thereof or authorizes the leasing thereof and appropriates a sum for the equipment thereof, the Board shall acquire the same by purchase, condemnation or lease, as the case may be, and suitably prepare and equip the same for a playground and recreation place or approach thereto.
If the Board is unable to agree with the owner or owners as to the price and terms of purchase or if, by reason of any legal disability or the absence of any owner or owners thereof or for any other cause, an agreement for the purchase of such lands or any part thereof or any rights of interest therein cannot be made, the Board may cause such lands or any rights of interest therein to be condemned and taken on behalf of the Township, and the compensation to be made thereof shall be ascertained and paid or tendered in the manner provided in N.J.S.A. 20:1-1 et seq., as appended and supplemented.
The Board may cause any land so acquired to be laid out and improved as a public playground, recreation place or an approach thereto.
The title to all lands acquired or taken under the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40:12-1 to 40:12-8 shall vest in the Township of Allamuchy, in the County of Warren, and all leases of land for such purpose shall be in the name of the Township.
A. 
In order to provide the funds, in whole or in part, necessary to improve, maintain and police the playgrounds or recreation places under its control, the Board may arrange and provide for the giving of exhibitions, plays, concerts, games and contests and may use and employ such playgrounds or recreation places for the purpose of giving thereon exhibitions, plays, concerts, games and contests.
B. 
The Board may charge and collect a reasonable admission fee for each person entering such playground or recreation place as a spectator during the time or times when the same is being used or employed for such purposes, and when any such playground or recreation place is used for such purpose, no admission fee shall be charged or collected from children under 12 years of age.
C. 
The Board may charge and collect a reasonable service charge from persons using, as participants, special areas and facilities which require special maintenance and the use of which is restricted to relatively few people, in order to assist in the meeting of the operating costs thereof in whole or in part.
The Board shall have full control over all lands, playgrounds and recreation places acquired or leased over which the Board may be given jurisdiction and supervision by the Township Council, by resolution or otherwise, and may adopt suitable rules, regulations and bylaws for the use thereof and the conduct of all persons while on or using the same. All rules and regulations adopted by the Board shall first be ratified by the Mayor and Township Council of the Township of Allamuchy. If the Mayor and Council of Allamuchy Township shall dispute any rule or regulation promulgated by the Board of Recreation Commissioners, the Board shall either amend such rule or regulation to comply with the requirements imposed by the Mayor and Township Council or shall not adopt such rule or regulation. Once ratified, all rules and regulations adopted by the Board of Recreation Commissioners shall have the full force of law as if made by the Mayor and Council of the Township of Allamuchy.
The custodians, supervisors and assistants appointed by the Board shall, while on duty and for the purpose of preserving order and the observance of the rules, regulations and bylaws of the Board, have all the power and authority of police officers of the Township.
The Board may appoint a Recreation Director for a term not to exceed three years, a secretary or clerk, who need not be members of the Board, and such number of custodians, supervisors and assistants for the several playgrounds and recreation places under its control as it shall think necessary, and fix and determine their salaries, provided that the payment of salaries and the amount thereof shall be subject to the prior approval of the Township Council.
The Township Council shall annually fix, determine and appropriate a sum sufficient for the care, custody, policing and maintenance of such playgrounds and recreation places and for the expenses of said Board, which shall be raised by taxation in the same manner as other taxes.
The Township Council shall provide a suitable office or offices for said Board.
The money necessary to pay for lands purchased or condemned for such playgrounds and recreation places and for providing and equipping the same from time to time may be raised and provided by the Township Council by general taxation, as other taxes are raised and levied, or by the issuance of temporary loan bonds or by the issuance of permanent bonds. All such bonds or other obligations shall be issued and paid in the manner provided by the law.
A. 
All moneys received by said Board shall be paid over to the Chief Financial Officer and be kept by her in a special fund which shall be under the control of the Board and used only for the purpose of defraying the expenses of improving, maintaining or policing the playgrounds and recreation places and for the other expenses of the Board.
B. 
Payments shall be made upon the approval of said Board, signed by its Chairman and attested by its Secretary, after receipt of a proper voucher therefor from the provider of goods or services. The Board shall not have the power and authority to incur any obligation in the name of the Township except as authorized from time to time by the Township Council under the provisions of this chapter.
Annually in the month of January, the Board shall meet and organize and elect from among its members a Chairman and such other officers as it shall deem necessary to serve until the next annual meeting and until their respective successors have been elected and shall qualify. The Board may also adopt bylaws to govern the conduct of its business.
[Added 2-28-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-03]
The Recreation Commission shall have jurisdiction over the Allamuchy Township Dog Park and shall create rules and regulations governing use of the dog park. The Recreation Commission shall create a registration process and is authorized to charge $25 for the first dog and $5 for each subsequent dog provided that the fees are paid to the municipal building following procedures approved by the CFO.